The Ivy REALM, a Destination Imagination team of seven students from Kirkland and Kamiakan Middle schools and International Community School, scored first place for the structural challenge at the Washington State tournament in Wenatchee for the 6th-8th grade level on April 6, 2013. Adam Chen, Laura Chen, Mady Colantes, Eric Gery, Ronya Strom, Anna Stahlschmidt, and Claire Whiteside built a structure that supported over 600 pounds of weight while being twisted from the side and performed a skit with an unexpected twist. This team also earned a Renaissance Award for outstanding overall performance at the tournament.

The WinDInators, a team of four students from Kirkland’s Lakeview and Franklin Elementary schools earned first place for the scientific challenge in the K-5th grade level at the tournament. Amy Chen, Kayra Inslee, Anna Whiteside and Helen Arnold created kinetic art moved by wind energy that was in a performance about the science of wind energy.

Both Kirkland teams will now represent Washington at the Destination Imagination Global Finals at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on May 22-25, 2013. Destination Imagination is the world’s largest creative thinking and problem solving competition and this year 100,000 students across the US and 30 countries competed to earn a spot at Global Finals. 8000 students representing 1250 teams will be advancing to Global Finals. Students compete in one of seven open-ended challenges that apply science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, in addition to improvisation, theater arts, writing, project management, communication, innovation, teamwork and community service. Fundraising efforts are now underway, please visit